Blogs, right? (or “Another Status Update For The Forthcoming Midnight Brown Album”)
December 16th, 2009 at 1:52 am
Let’s look back on 2008 and 2009 as the years when the mainstream world thought “man, maybe I should get a blog” and then followed it up in ’09 with “and by blog I meant Facebook/Twitter account.”
It’s sort of funny, now, looking back on the time when I was setting this page up and a lot of other people I know were setting up something similar. Then I got employed again, some people moved to other parts of the country, other people stayed in their respective parts of the country, and life continued forward. Still, there was something almost magical about that time, and I’ll always remember it. Now, posting full entries to a personal blog feels archaic and pointless, especially when I consider how many other places I can use to get the sort of info I’d save up for this blog out there in shorter forms.
But back in… I don’t know, late 2006 or something, me and Chris started work on what will soon become Midnight Brown’s fourth album, which is still called Deadly Electric. We started making music immediately after releasing the previous album, Dope/Revenge. But after writing around two or three songs, everything pretty much went bad in our respective lives for entirely different reasons. Well, maybe “bad” is a harsh way of putting it. Everything went “angsty.” There.
There’s actually a lot of stuff about that time in my life that I don’t want to get into. That made it pretty hard to sit down and write a bunch of songs, because any time I tried, they were coming out… well… mad emo, or something. We did some writing here and there, but I mostly just started writing instrumental tracks and never putting vocals to them. During the creation of Deadly Electric, I’ve probably written around 250 half-songs, either a few lyrics that got typed up and forgotten or tracks that vary from just dumb, four-bar drum loops to tracks that just need lyrics.
We haven’t really revisited any of that stuff lately. Things are much better all around these days, and when we sit down to write, we start from scratch. I feel like I’ve got a few good creative outlets and I’ve surrounded myself with people I really enjoy spending time with. Some of that’s a matter of public record, but despite whatever weird pictures I may post on Twitter of me in bars with friends, I enjoy a little privacy, too.
That’s why Deadly Electric is still so weird to me. Even though the songs aren’t actually about the things and the people that were around when they were written, a lot of those songs remind me of really specific things. Some of them make me feel pretty stupid, sort of like writing about it right now does. Some of them make me feel relieved that all that stuff is so far behind me now. And some of them are influenced by knives and horse racing, just like most of the older stuff was.
Actually… most of the songs on the new “record” are totally dumb, similar to how the ones on the last three were. The real difference is that they just make me think of very different stuff than those older songs do. I don’t know if any of that will come across when other people are listening to it. It certainly doesn’t mean that the songs are any “deeper” and “realer” than they’ve been in the past. There’s certainly some production on it that I’m proud of, though. Right now Cop Knife, Roll Them Shakers, and LNS are probably my favorite songs. We’ve got 13 finished tracks, and we probably just need one or two more before I feel like it’s long enough to call an “album.” Some people piped up and said we should sell it, but that doesn’t sound like an especially great idea.
Though not as weird as the notion that we’ve already got a good name for a fifth album.
December 16th, 2009 at 3:23 am
The Blog is still alive!
Can’t wait for the album and hope that 2010 will be even better for you!
December 16th, 2009 at 6:10 am
I knew there was a reason I picked today to randomly check this page! It was obviously fate; I was destined to read this. And I was destined to reply with this:
Cannot WAIT for the new album. Listened to the stuff you put up on myspace a ton, and probably would have listened a lot more if, y’know, myspace didn’t make me feel dirty just for visiting it. My point is, the new stuff is great, and if the quality remains as high, this album is going to be amazing.
Hell, this album’s going to be great anyway. I can sense it. Just like I sensed I should come to this page today. And if this album means a lot to you, that only raises my hopes for it. There’s nothing wrong with music for musics sake, but it can add just that little bit extra if the writer really feels it. That was a totally empty statement, I know, but I wasn’t sure how to express exactly what I meant without sounding ultra-pretentious.
Either way, keep up the great work on everything you do.
Oh, and seeing as this is the internet, this is pretty much obligatory-
First!
December 16th, 2009 at 9:29 am
I’ve been following your video game exploits for almost 10 years now (that’s frightening…) but I’ve never listened to Midnight Brown until today. I’m not sure why, there’s no reason why I wouldn’t like it, it sounds right up my alley, but I just never went there. Anyway, hearing you talk about it like this piqued my interest and I’m checking it out.
We (your fans) love you because you’re insane and you say the most hilarious shit (also a great video game journalist which helps), but it’s nice to be reminded every once in a while that you are a regular dude who goes through regular dude shit. So here’s to keeping it real.
As for the new album, you could always try the NIN/Radiohead approach and just ask for non-obligatory donations.
December 16th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I emailed Jeff a few years back in order to tell him, without any irony whatsoever, that Midnight Brown is up there for me with my all-time favourite bands, such as Devo, Pixies and Radiohead. I’ve always found it incredibly frustrating that most people I’ve asked have never heard of Devo, and I have the same feelings regarding Midnight Brown. I grab every chance that I get to turn people on to Midnight Brown’s music. It’s not hard. Most people instantly love the likes of Future Robinhood, Loadest Kids and Militia Girls, with some of the other tracks perhaps taking a little longer to register as a force to be reckoned with. Indeed, it took a long time for many of the tracks on Dope/Revenge to truly invade my subconscious, and the same might well be the case for Deadly Electric. Midnight Brown, however, are one of the only bands that I’ve ever listened to (along with the likes of The Doors), where I’ve eventually learned to love every song on every album.
Needless to say I am happy to hear that the fabled fourth album is on its way. That’s just rad.
Regards from Scotland.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Ahren pretty much nailed it: “here’s to keeping it real.”
I’m as stoked as ever for the album, and I’m sure it will completely take over my mp3 player for a frighteningly long time, just as the others did.
Good to hear things are looking up for you, Jeff. Please continue to be the greatest.
December 16th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
I have no idea what possessed me to check this blog today, but I did, and you had posted. It’s a Christmas fucking miracle.
I wonder if you’d find it find it strange that your songs have become memories to others as well? I’ll never hear Cat Belt Buckle without thinking about an ex of mine tweaking in front of me, and all the shit that happened because of that. If we’re a product of our experiences, that song a pretty damn big part of me.
December 16th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Fuckin’ great news Jeff, I want the album so stop Dr. Dreing me you s.o.b and put it out. Hope the shit things that happened to you were just a bit shit instead of totally shit.
December 19th, 2009 at 5:19 am
I knew I wouldn’t regret keeping this RSS feed on my homepage. Can’t wait for new Midnight Brown! Glad the 200Crime was good to you. You remain, as always, my hero.
Now seems like a pretty good time to crank up “Robot Vampire”.
December 20th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Sweet!
Can’t wait to hear the new album~
And I’m glad to hear things are going better now.
December 21st, 2009 at 4:24 am
Great to see a new update here. I look forward to listening to the new album.
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:56 pm
My life was also emo in 2007-08. It kind of all feels like wasted time, when I look back at it. Now I’m obsessed with making up for the time I wasted. It’s weird.
Anyway! It’s cool to hear the new album is close to release. Looking forward to blasting this beast while friends give me weird looks.
December 28th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
That’s awesome. Good news to round out oh-nine with, and better times, huh. I think I sent you a tweet about this a while ago, but I’d crack a forty open if you were to release the instrumental track of Let’s Do It (Undercover) without the vocals. That song is rad; fair to say its a daily basis one for me.
December 29th, 2009 at 9:01 am
Great to see updates on this blog. Been a while since the last time, but it’s all good.
Glad to hear things are going great!
January 1st, 2010 at 5:51 am
Great to hear a new album is coming along, funny how I stumbled into your blog kinda randomly. I think the donation thing would not be a terrible idea.
January 4th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
yessssssss!
Glad new album is coming out, liked alot of your old stuff even though this ant the type of music i listen to normally, more of a R&B, Hiphop person.
also glad your still posting here as i still keep an eye here to see what’s going on.
Here’s some of my fav Midnight Brown trkzzz. (in no order) for new comers
RadiOIactive / Dope Revenge
Militia Girls / Dope Revenge
Intro (Dope) / Dope Revenge
Kiss One More Time / 17 Brown Lies
Too Hot / 2084
The Compound / 2084
The Freezersuits / 2084
Call Em Like You See Em / 2084
January 8th, 2010 at 3:25 am
I look forward to hearing it man.
Making music with your friends is the best vice ever.
January 17th, 2010 at 5:11 am
totally excited for Deadly Electric, should be dope.
by you having a title for the 5th album Jeff, is it confirmed you going to do another one?
January 25th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Making music’s a great way of blowing of steam, keep it up. Also there’s a distinct track i remember hearing, particularly on rich’s last on the spot, really sweet, almost sad melody. Dunno if you know which one i’m talking about but if you do, and if that is a mb track then kudos.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Highly anticipating the album! Great to see another blog entry even if it has been a few months ;D
Not sure if it’s just because Dope/Revenge was the first album of yours I listened to but that’s definitely my favorite, I pretty much like all those songs mostly from the way they make me feel and not so much the lyrics (although I know most of them also)
I’m still currently thinking about creating a blog site even with a Facebook / Twitter page… I should really get onto that… Maybe in a years time.
March 8th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Yippy! blogs are awesome Jeff. Do more, since they’re lightyears ahead of twitter posts. Imagine announcing Midnight Brown’s newest album only on twitter. That’s just 1 sentence along the lines of “4th album out LINK” Blogs are really cool and its a shame they seem like 2008′s fad.
Blogs let you say whats on your mind, and I don’t mean that as a thought one can tweet like this “Should I go out or order pizza?” Blogs really say whats on your mind, usually things more interesting than 240 characters.
Keep postin’!